Cornelius Kersten produced the best British Olympic speed skating performance in nearly six decades - and vowed he’s just getting started.
Kersten ranked ninth in the men’s 1000m, with his time of 1:08.79 just three tenths off Norwegian bronze medallist Haavard Holmefjord Lorentzen.
Kersten and girlfriend Ellia Smeding were the first British speed skaters at the Games since Albertville 1992 and this display in his preferred event is the best Team GB result since Terry Malkin’s eighth-place in the 10,000m at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck.
“On the one hand I’m really happy but to be that close to the podium is slightly frustrating. Those three tenths were really in there,” said Kersten, 27. “This is the hardest 1000m I’ve ever done and I’m pretty proud of myself but it was so close.
“I need just another year of hard work and good training to really close that gap, this is my first year training at a world level and look how close I’ve come. If you compare me with my rivals, I just need another year to get a lot closer to them.”
Kersten became the first British speed skater in 36 years to record a top 10 finish at the World Cup with a ninth-place in November and also scored a fourth-place finish at the European Championships.
And he’s taking some belief in the fact Dutch gold medallist Thomas Krol is about to turn 30.
“I’ve got some really good form and that’s exciting because I’ve got the World Championships and then the World Cup final, so the season has some way to run yet,” he added.
“Skaters don’t tend to peak until their late 20s, early 30s, so there is a lot more time for me to develop as we look towards the next Olympics.”
Kersten lives and trains in Holland, a speed skating powerhouse with nearly 150 medals at the Games, and the vast majority on the ice oval.
Despite having nine people fewer in their delegation than Team GB, they sit seventh on the medal table with 16, including nine in speed skating and five golds.
“There’s such a tradition in the Netherlands but I really think we can aspire to have more of a team,” said Kersten, who founded a coffee business with girlfriend and Team GB teammate Smeding to pay for training expenses.
“It’ll take time but we can look at people in sports to maybe transfer across to us. Hopefully getting to the Games and having this result will help with funding as that makes such a difference.”
Watch All the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 live on discovery+, Eurosport and Eurosport app
